It’s still early when, full of fresh fruit, Nutella crêpes and frothy cappuccinos, I hop on board a tender with nothing but my phone and bottle of water, ready to stretch my legs on land and soak up the sun of the Côte d’Azur for a few hours. As we boat across from the anchorage of Club Med 2 — the five-masted, 637ft luxury sailing yacht I’m aboard for a three night mini-cruise — to the busy St Tropez marina, my ears prick up at an English accent among my fellow guests — the first I’ve heard during the first 48 hours of my voyage.
That’s because, while the French travel operator Club Med’s Mediterranean all-inclusive resorts and Alpine ski hotels are hugely popular among Brits, its one cruise ship, launched in 1992 and renovated last December, does not seem to have caught their attention.
The majority of those who cruise with Club Med (in the Mediterranean in summer, the Caribbean in winter) come from France, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany.
Hannah Gravett in Porto Venere
Most are younger than the typical cruise clientele too — aged 45 upwards — something the line seems to be encouraging with buzzing onboard nightlife until the early hours and glamorous routes. I’m here to see whether cruising could tempt me — a 24-year-old — to embrace the kind of travel I’d always associated with older generations.
The source of those English accents is Eve and Matt, Londoners, both in their fifties, who tell me this is their second long weekend on the 368-passenger ship — this time bound from Nice for Portofino and St Tropez.
The short voyage appeals, they say, partly for the intimate size of the ship, which can visit smaller ports.
Club Med was one of the first travel companies to offer an all-inclusive model, in the 1950s, when the founder, Gérard Blitz, wanted to eliminate “the extra charges and hassles that can sour the sweetest of vacations”.
Waterskiing, windsurfing, snorkelling and kayaking are usually included on a Club Med cruise
For the most part it seems his ethos continues today — boarding and disembarking is hassle-free. I breeze through a small security point in Nice’s port at midday and within minutes am checked in, on board, with a wristband for a room key.
When the ship departs in the evening, the sails are raised to the sound of booming anthems and cheers from guests sipping the free-flowing champagne, served each evening from 6pm. Sailing east, we voyage overnight and into the following morning.
The movement of the ship is a bit of a shock to the system for a first-time cruiser — the swaying is considerable, making getting ready for breakfast a bizarre experience. Soon it feels more lulling, quite pleasant when I’m drifting off to sleep and eventually I hardly notice.
The crew’s constant smiles seem genuine, service is outstanding — staff scour for painkillers when I’m taken out by a migraine on the first night, and translate during excursions — echoing Blitz’s drive to create an “alchemy of happiness”.
Le Monte-Carlo restaurant
As I wander the decks taking in the views, allowing the memory of office life to sink to the bottom of the choppy sea, the salty breeze makes me hungry. The ship’s impressive buffet is calling.
Prior to departure, my perception of all-inclusive food was basic, beige, bland. How wrong I was. Spreads for all meals are vast, varied and very fresh. At breakfast croissants and crêpes accompany fruit and smoothies, blended on the spot, and numerous cooked options. Throughout the day hot food, cheeses, chutneys and dips are laid out next to fresh baguettes. There’s a generously stocked salad bar at mealtimes, build-your-own poke bowls and decent sushi at lunch, teatime treats, then for dinner the option of buffet-style pasta, meat and fish (and ice cream sundae station) surrounded by sensational ocean views at Le Saint-Tropez restaurant on deck. Alternatively the ship’s Le Monte-Carlo restaurant offers à la carte – I enjoy a hummus starter, fregola with ratatouille, cheese then a chocolate cake, made specially for a birthday on our table, all washed down with very drinkable wines.
Booze — available all day and included, bar some premium ones — has recently been upgraded from unbranded to recognisable names such as Gordon’s gin and Fever Tree, elevating the sense of luxury.
Over the next few days appetites are built walking a decent number of steps on land, counteracting my preconception that I’d be tied to a sunlounger all weekend.
Poor weather in Portofino means we reroute to Porto Venere, a quaint seaside village in northwest Italy, for wine tasting, mooching around the alleyways’ tiny shops (I recommend a jar of the local pesto) and enjoying gorgeous views from the Chiesa di San Pietro.
Club Med cruises sail around the Mediterranean in summer and the Caribbean in winter
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Our second stop, St Tropez, has pockets of bliss but is slightly overshadowed by the garishly lavish yachts and wince-inducing prices in the designer boutiques.
Water sports such as waterskiing, windsurfing, snorkelling and kayaking are usually included but these too are thwarted by bad weather. Instead there are onboard fitness classes and evening entertainment, gamely performed by the crew of waiting staff and spa managers until 2am.
I retreat to my standard cabin, a surprisingly spacious double room with a classic, cool and clean interior and a very comfortable bed. Some minor aspects feel tired — a slight stain on a curtain here, a scuffed patch of carpet there — and I’m surprised that free wi-fi is limited to a couple of gigabytes before additional costs apply, not ideal when attempting to appeal to younger customers.
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The en suite is like a bougie version of my old uni halls washroom, just big enough for one, and stocked with Sothys toiletries, the brand also used in the ship’s spa (treatments are an additional cost). Bar the size, and a couple of extras such as a Bluetooth speaker, there’s little distinction between more expensive cabins and mine.
Despite a few minor imperfections (the changing room bathrooms, take note), the ship’s interior is contemporary and stylish, having been revamped in 2022 by the French designer Sophie Jacqmin in a £8.7m overhaul. Communal spaces now blend modern sailor chic (blues, light furnishings) with sophisticated nostalgia for old-school French Riviera cruising. Le Yacht Club, where evening dance shows take place, is particularly calming.
Beyond the restaurants and lounging areas, there’s a small-but-Zen spa, a gym and two little outdoor saltwater pools where I bob in my own little oasis, basking in the sun, sometimes shaded by the magnificent sails that assist the engines, saving fuel.
The Club Med 2 has five masts
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Back in Nice at the end, I stroll across the beach wondering whether Club Med will win over my fellow young Brits with its luxury mini-cruise concept. Three nights of sun, booze and stress-free travel hopping from one charming town to the next? It really is as heavenly as it sounds. Those who love a cheap flight and European weekend could certainly find the fun of their beloved city breaks on one. A splash of escapism and luxury without the hassle of booking Airbnbs and restaurants — I’m sold.
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Hannah Gravett was a guest of Club Med, which offers three nights’ all-inclusive from Nice to Elba and St Tropez from £928pp, departing on September 15, 2024 (clubmed.co.uk). Fly to Nice
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Three more cruises for a younger crowd
By Sue Bryant
1. Barcelona to Ibiza with Virgin Voyages
Virgin Voyages has pitched its adults-only cruise product firmly at the millennial market, including workout classes, a range of dining (drag queen-hosted brunches and decent plant-based menus among them), a vinyl store, wild deck parties and even a tattoo parlour. With routes mainly around the Med and Caribbean (also the South Pacific and transatlantic), overnight stays include ports such as Ibiza and Mykonos, where there’s nightlife to be had. Sail on the 2,770-passenger Scarlet Lady from Barcelona to Toulon in France, Marina di Carrara in Italy, Ajaccio on Corsica and Ibiza, where you’ll spend a full day and most of a night — you don’t have to haul yourself back on board until 4.30am.
Details Seven nights’ full board from £2,146pp, including fitness classes, tips and wi-fi, departing on June 2 (virginvoyages.com). Fly to Barcelona
Windmills on Mykonos
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2. Trieste to Athens with Norwegian
There’s nothing timid about Norwegian Cruise Line’s bright, jazzy ships, packed with activities from go-karting to water slides and an adults-only outdoor lounge with hammocks and cabanas. Sail from Trieste to Athens on the brand-new 3,099-passenger Norwegian Viva via some of the most popular ports in the eastern Med, including Split, Dubrovnik, Santorini and Mykonos. The ship has 14 restaurants ranging from Mexican to sushi, as well as a comedy club, a theatre showing Beetlejuice: The Musical and a terrifying free-fall slide called The Drop that plummets down the outside of the ship, spitting you out on to the promenade deck.
Details Nine nights’ all-inclusive from £1,984pp, including drinks, speciality dining, wi-fi and shore-excursion credit, departing on May 16 (ncl.com). Fly or take a train to Venice
3. Caribbean and the Bahamas with Royal Caribbean
Sail the Caribbean and the Bahamas on Royal Caribbean’s massive Oasis of the Seas and you’ll get a day at the cruise line’s private island resort, Perfect Day at CocoCay, a playground of water slides, zip lines, a vast lagoon pool with swim-up bars and, if you splash out and pay extra, dreamy overwater cabanas to lounge in. Other stops on this nine-night cruise include Nassau in the Bahamas, Falmouth in Jamaica and Labadee, the line’s second private beach, on Haiti. On board there are four pools, an ice rink (yes, really), a nightclub and the Rising Ride, a cool bar that moves up and down the central atrium. The dazzling high-diving shows at the Aqua Theater on the aft deck are another highlight.
Details Seven nights’ full board from £1,480pp, including flights, departing on February 3 (iglucruise.com)
How do you think ships can attract a younger audience? Let us know in the comments below
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